Dark and Light
by Guardian65
Summary: Harry ran from the Dursley's and stumbled onto the world that was his birth right. He became cold and powerful, caring only for himself and one other. Now Voldemort must deal with an enemy who is not so different from himself.
1. 1

**Non-verbal spells: **_Stupefy!_

**Verbal spells: **_"Stupefy"_

--

Money and power. They ruled the world that I lived in. Some would say that one provided access to the other but those people are ignorant to my world. I do not talk about the type of power that allows a person to command others, no, I mean _magical _power.

My world is hidden, more so then the underworld of the Normals. Rules are not enforced by the barrel of a gun but by the point of a wand. A flash of green light ends a person's life with frightening suddenness. With no more then whispered words a person can kill.

I am intimately familiar with the light. It has plagued me since that fateful Halloween when the course of my life was irreversibly altered. For years I dreamt of it within the confines of my cupboard that my loving relatives _allowed _me to sleep in. Then when I left the house, that still haunts my nightmares, and encountered the world where I truly belong with the help of a Squib who recognised my famous-or perhaps infamous- scar I encountered the green light once more.

Except I am no longer the target but I am now the wielder. Some would call me a killer or murderer…

… and I would agree. I have no illusions about what I am. Blood covers my hands and I no longer try to delude myself into thinking that none of it was innocent in some way. None of the people I deal with are truly innocent, much like me.

Death haunts my steps, it has for my entire life and some part of me revels in it while a smaller part reviles what I am. I could say that I have been forced along this path but that is a lie, it was my choice to disappear into the darkness, my choice to stay missing even when I knew who I truly was.

Do I have regrets? Only one.

_Her._

Even that though is more of a want, a need for acceptance that I have never had but still crave when I am at my lowest. I stay away though. She exists in a world that I can never truly be a part of and I would never drag her into my world, though at times the temptation is almost overwhelming. I know that now but the decision still eats at me. When I think about what could have happened though I feel my resolve strengthen.

Still every time I see her it's like a knife in the gut and I have the scars to prove that I know exactly how that feels. Though I don't believe in it, our separation is for the greater good, hers that is. I even put that on the note I left her even though she knows how I regard the so called 'greater good'.

--

The robes are black and heavy; it's to be expected since they're reinforced with strips of dragonhide. Against the black material the damage that the robes have sustained stands out even more, it's the type of damage that comes from powerful spell fire and the fact that I'm still alive and wearing the robes sends a message that only a fool could miss.

I'm dangerous, stay out of my way.

Of course there is always the odd fool who ignores the warning but the truly talented killers see it and mark me as one of their own.

With a soft pop I appear in the Atrium of the British Ministry of Magic. For once I'm wearing my real face, scar and all, though it can't be seen behind my charcoal black hair. While it will identify me to anyone that I might encounter it will also stop them from shipping me off to Azkaban if this goes wrong, instead I'll be forced into Hogwarts.

Azkaban or Hogwarts.

Prison or school.

Dementors or children.

For me the choice is easy. Besides, I don't plan on getting caught but being prepared is better then being caught unawares. I didn't reach my teens by being stupid.

Well not overly so.

The guard in the security booth is asleep. I feel a sneer curl my lips, I despise laziness in any form. I had picked early morning because I wanted the guard to be at his lowest but I expected at least an attempt at professionalism.

Despite the guard's state the network of wards around his booth stop me from continuing, luckily I have prepared for this.

A jolt of magic passes through me as I get within ten feet of the desk and the guard jerks awake. At least he's smart enough to set a perimeter ward before sleeping, though the fact that it has such a small radius speaks of either inexperience or sloppiness.

He rises to his feet at my approach and starts to fidget when I focus on him. I resist the urge to smirk. A quick glance at the badge on the front of his robes gives me a name. _Eric Levinson. _

"Wand."

I eye his hand and then look up to meet his eyes once more.

"I'm currently in between wands. I ran into some trouble yesterday and haven't had time to purchase a replacement," I lie smoothly; it was one of the few useful skills that my relatives imparted on me.

Levinson eyes me carefully, as if he's trying to spot a lie. I meet his eyes, Occlumency shields at full strength just in case, and he looks away first. Very few people can match my stare or stare me down.

With a sigh he grabs a metal rod, similar to a wand and taps a symbol on his rune encrusted desk. A gap appears in the wards, framed by shimmering magic. Levinson steps through and extends the rod towards me.

It works in a similar manner to handheld metal detectors, except it searches for magical items, in this case a wand. I have no intention of letting him scan me.

I lash out with my left hand and grab his right wrist in an iron grip. As he shouts out in alarm I channel a wandless stunner through my left hand while parrying his desperate blow with my right.

The shout dies half formed in his throat and I step forward to catch him and lower him to the ground carefully. I twist my wrist awkwardly and a wand shoots from my right sleeve, I catch it in a motion that took me hours of practice to perfect.

Remember what I said about death haunting my steps. Cypress, twelve inches with Thestral hair for the core.

Cypress; representation of mourning, death and despair.

Thestrals; believed to be an omen of death by much of the Wizarding World.

Well the wand does choose the wizard so perhaps I shouldn't be so surprised that I picked a wand with a personality so similar to my own. Occasionally I wonder if magic is sentient but in the end it doesn't really matter, just as long as it works for me.

With an idle wave I erect a Notice-Me-Not Charm around the body and security booth. It will buy me seconds the next time someone is in the Atrium but seconds can make all the difference.

Keeping my wand out I head for the elevators a grim smile on my face.

--

Dumbledore would never leave something as seemingly important as this prophecy unprotected. I step into the Hall of Prophecies and my wand comes up.

_Veneficus Deprehensia! _The radar charm works similar to muggle sonar except it rebounds off of a person's magical core and the caster gets a picture in their mind of where the hidden witches or wizards are, if there are indeed any.

_Stupefy! _A slight twist, not taught to the general public, causes the red beam to be as long and thick as my forearm and significantly more powerful then most stunners.

A shield flared to life but it wasn't even half formed before my stunner tore it apart and collided with its caster who, from the lack of distortion waves that were common with Disillusionment Charms, I assumed to be hiding underneath an Invisibility Cloak. I summoned the cloak to reveal a tall redhead in dragonhide boots who looked to be in his mid twenties. A mirror lay on the ground next to him, I swore softly. I was officially on the clock, on the upside though I had gained an Invisibility Cloak that disappeared into the magically enlarged pockets that littered the inside of my robe.

The first feelings of anxiety made themselves known as I began to run down the length of the halls, checking the dates that were displayed at the end of each towering shelf. If the guard had managed to use the mirror then I had perhaps five minutes before Dumbledore turned up, less if he alerted the Unspeakables and Aurors.

I recognised the room from when Voldemort battered his way through Occlumency shields, causing me to blackout in a manner similar to some seers when they have visions or recite prophecies.

I've never put much stock in Divination, I despise the idea that I'm not in control of my own destiny. My Legilimency is far better then my Occlumency and Voldemort made a fatal mistake by failing to guard his subconscious as well as he did the rest of his mind.

By following the path that my scar offered I could enter Voldemort's subconscious after breaking through a series of lesser barriers. Searching for information relating to the Department of Mysteries provided a wealth of knowledge that I didn't necessarily need but was willing to take. I couldn't spend as much time looking around his subconscious as I would have liked however least my presence was discovered by Voldemort. Still, without the information that he held I never would have been able to get this far.

Row ninety seven appears quickly and I dart into the opening, rapidly scanning shelves for a specific orb. My eyes latch onto it. Dust covered it and written beneath it was a date but the black writing beneath the date held my attention.

**S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.**

**Dark Lord and? – Harry Potter**

I stared at it for a moment, the small part of it that I knew making its way to the front of my mind.

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies..._

I wonder how much more there is to it and just how am I meant to beat a man who is widely acknowledged as the greatest Dark Lord to have ever set foot in England. It will change my life that much I know but by taking the orb I feel as though I am accepting responsibility for killing Voldemort.

Not for the sheep that he preys on though. I'll do it for revenge. For my parents and all the kids like me who won't know their parents.

When my fingers close around it a burst of warmth shoots up my arm, similar but not as strong as the feeling I got when I picked up my wand for the first time. It was brief but undeniable and any doubt that I might have had about being the one the prophecy spoke of vanished from my mind. The orb disappeared into my robe, cushioned by the purloined Invisibility Cloak.

I allowed myself to indulge in a moment of satisfaction that I had done what Voldemort had been attempting for the better part of a year as I headed back towards the main aisle. It was perhaps my biggest mistake.

As I stepped out from between the shelves I caught a glimpse of distortion patterns out of the corner of my eye, several figures were arrayed around the door that I needed to pass through.

I had taken two steps from the cover of the shelves in the time it took me to identify what I was seeing and when I did my wand came up blinding speed even I dived forward in an attempt to reach the shelves on the opposite side of the aisle.

_Flammum Orbis! _With no hope for performing complex wand movements while flying through the air I use a point and shoot curse. A ball of fire erupts from the tip of my wand and streaks towards my attackers, trailing flames behind.

Any competent duelist should be able to deal with it, after all I may be a killer but I dislike killing people who aren't trying to kill me or who are simply doing their job unless they've screwed me over in some way and then all bets are off.

I don't get to see the effects of my spell however as I land in the relative safety of the shelves. I look up in time to see a pair of feet appear as a Disillusionment Charm fails, evidently they were prepared for me. Against my will I feel the barest traces of respect for whoever was in charge of the ambush before the stunner impacts the back of my head. Evidentially my attacker recognized the robes.

--

Regaining consciousness after being stunned is similar to regaining consciousness after being hit in the head with a blunt object.

You feel like crap, curse yourself for letting it happen and then take a look around to see where the hell you are.

Now I've never been taken into custody by British Aurors and certainly never their Unspeakables but I have seen an interrogation room or two in my short fifteen years of life. I would like to stress though that I'll be sixteen in a month.

The room I'm in is definitely an interrogation room. The walls are grey and unadorned while the metal table and two, heavy looking wooden chairs in front of me are battered and old.

I'm not sure what type of chair I'm in except that it's made from wood so I would wager a guess that it's a match to the others. my wrist are secured to it with a spell, most likely a standard restraining spell that I can end with a simple _finite _if I put enough power into it.

Wandless magic is so rare that it's never really taken into account and while the stunner I used earlier along with a banisher and summoning charm are the most advanced wandless magic that I'm capable of it's still more then ninety nine percent of the population is capable of.

There is no two way mirror like in non-magical interrogation rooms but a simple spell used to make one of the walls transparent from one side but with no effect on the other works just as well.

How do I know?

Hold you wand to the surface you want to see through and speak the incantation; _Videlicet Visum._

So I'm in an interrogation room, magically bound to a chair that I can escape at any time. Before I do anything though I need to know what resources I have to work with.

To start with I have my wandless magic but should try to get a wand, preferably my own, at some point. Next I have a stolen Invisibility Cloak and prophecy orb, I know that they haven't been taken off of me since the pockets of my robe magically seal themselves unless I'm the one doing the opening and I can feel the orb pressing against my ribs.

The bracer that I had strapped to my left wrist is still there but it's lighter so I know that the shrunken potions are gone and I doubt they left the two runic grenades I had in case I ran into any large scale resistance, or just got the urge to blow something up.

I press my ankles against the legs of the chairs and find the two, glamour covered, daggers that I usually keep there missing.

In short, I'm screwed.

Nothing strange about that, my day can't get any worse at least.

--

I just had to open my mouth didn't I?

By my count I've been conscious for about forty five minutes and three Aurors just walked into the interrogation room.

The first one is Gawain Robards. At almost six and a half feet and god knows how many pounds of solid muscle he's an intimidating sight. The fact that he's marked as the next Head Auror speaks of his competence and possible political aspirations. I recognize the wand that he's twirling around in his hand as my own and narrow my eyes at it, a plan beginning to form.

After him comes Kingsley Shacklebolt. Tall, black and unshakeable, he's not someone you want to face if you can avoid it. Like Robards he's a protégé of Alastor Moody.

The next person through the door however causes a range of emotions within me. Apprehension and happiness dominant among them.

It's _her._


	2. Chapter 2

Nymphadora Tonks.

The woman I love.

A lot of people would say that at fifteen I don't know what love is and that I'm in lust.

I've been in lust. I'm rather…

… experienced for my age so I know what it's like to lust after someone. What I feel for her is different, if for no other reason then she loves me, something that I can't remember any other person doing.

It's been six months since I left but I've seen her since then. Usually she's asking after me down Knockturn Alley, I'm thankful that she has enough sense to not go looking down Blackthorn. I warned her to stay away from there and she appears to have heeded the warning.

Thank god.

I meet her violet coloured eyes as she observes me and almost wince at the look on her face; it's one of vague recognition.

I've never met her in this form before, just like I've never seen her true form, but I look similar to some of the forms that she's seen me using. I'll have to be careful here, if I slip up she'll catch it.

There are certain rules that I've learned to live my life by.

Rule one: Don't get caught.

If rule one is broken then only one course of action remains.

Escape.

Robards sits opposite me while Shacklebolt and Tonks remain standing, flanking him.

It's an intimidation tactic and if I was a normal fifteen year old I'd probably be shaking in fear.

Luckily I'm far from normal.

I'm impressed when Robards meets and holds my gaze. A weak Legilimency probe brushes against my Occlumency shields and I smirk.

"That's illegal Mr Robards," I keep my voice cheerful, not letting any other emotions slip through.

Occlumency is a wonderful thing when it comes to controlling emotions.

He flinches slightly as I launch my own probe. Whereas his was a feather light touch mine is the equivalent of a battering ram that rattles his own shields, apart from the almost unnoticeable flinch though he doesn't react.

"A lot of very important people are interested in where you have been since you left your family Mr Potter. Would you care to enlighten me as to where you have been?"

I feel a familiar spike of anger when he refers to the Dursleys as my family and before I can stop myself I snarl "Those bastards aren't my family."

I freeze, not because of what I said but because Tonks just went ghost white and now she's staring at me with a look of dawning recognition in her eyes even as she scrutinises my features closely.

"Cayden."

The name slips from her lips and I swear softly.

Show time.

_FINITE! _I feel the magic that is holding my wrists fade away and I'm on my feet in an instant.

Even as I wandlessly stun Shacklebolt I summon my wand from where it lies on the table in front of Robards. As soon as my fingers close around the smooth cypress I feel my confidence soar.

Robards launches a powerful stunner followed by a quick body bind while Tonks still seems to be in shock.

I sway on the spot to avoid Robards' spells while lightly stunning Tonks as she begins to draw her wand.

"_Disrumpo." _The bludgeoner buckles Robards shield and my follow up stunner collapses it.

_Jacio! _Slow footwork allows the flinging hex to glance off his arm and spin him around, making him easy prey for my stunner.

A blasting curse deals with the door to the interrogation room and I find myself in a narrow corridor and face to face with Sirius Black.

He's in much the same state as Tonks but for different reasons, I read the _Prophet _and know all about him being a close friend of my parents.

I wouldn't mind knowing about my parents but now really isn't the time.

A pair of silent stunners dissipate against his shield and I'm officially impressed by his speed but let see if he can use it.

_Laniatus! _A diagonal slash through the air sends a vicious cutting curse towards him. I miss aim slightly so that it'll only open his shoulder unless he's stupid enough to step into it.

He moves to avoid it and begins to cast his own spell but his reluctance is clear and it costs him the speed that impressed me before. I'm still as fast as ever though and two stunner slam into his chest.

His body has barely hit the ground and I'm running pass him to the end of the corridor. It opens up onto a row of cells, I don't know where I am but if I had to guess I'd say it's the Ministry holding cells.

There's only one open path so I take it. I follow the corridors, ignoring the mounting dread that I begin to feel when I don't come up against anyone else. When I reach the elevators I know why I didn't find anyone else in the corridors.

Standing calmly in front of the tarnished elevator doors dressed in polka dot robes is Albus fucking Dumbledore himself.

Shit.

Even though he's holding his wand he's not in any sort of recognised duelling stance but I that doesn't mean much.

"Good morning Mr Potter," Dumbledore's smile doesn't even waver as I glare at him.

Screw it.

_Contremisco! _A swirl of light hits the floor and the ground begins to shake but with a lazy swipe of his wand Dumbledore ends the quake curse.

"Very go…"

"_Stupefy." Pulsum! Expello! _The three spells flow from my wand but Dumbledore swats them aside like flies.

Then again I didn't really expect to beat the Vanquisher of Grindelwald with a few lesser spells.

I'm going to have to up my game if I want to get out of here and maybe add a dash of creativity so that I don't have to resort to lethality.

Dumbledore raises his hand in a placating gesture and I feel a spell hit me.

A cheering charm if I'm not mistaken. He's a crafty old bastard, the spell is colourless and if I wasn't proficient at Occlumency and could feel it altering my emotions I doubt that I would have detected it.

A slight, barely detectable twitch of my wand dispels it and I shoot him a grin.

"Not bad Albus, you don't mind if I call you Albus do you?" the attempt at baiting him produces no more then a twinkle of the blue eyes and a slight nod. Damn.

"You'll have to do better though. _Prolixus Ruina."_

A three foot wide, expanding beam of grey magic explodes from the tip of my wand. Dumbledore raises a powerful light green shield that withstands the assault from my Wide Area Blasting Curse.

The shield doesn't stop physical attack though and I pass through it completely unaffected.

His nose breaks under the force of my fist and he staggers backwards from a combination of pain and shock. His guard is down.

_Stupefy! _A point blank range the thick red beam can't miss and impacts against his chest and he goes down.

Kicking his wand away I hit the call button on the elevator and disillusion myself in case it's full of Aurors. The Invisibility Cloak in my pocket would work better but it would also restrict my movement.

I also stun Dumbledore again; it doesn't hurt to be cautious after all.

I breathe a sigh of relief at seeing the empty interior of the elevator and hurry inside.

..

As it starts moving I wince at the amount of noise that it makes. If the Ministry doesn't know that I'm here already then they certainly will now.

I can feel the adrenaline pumping and the familiar stirrings of victory. All I need to do is make it to the Apparition Point and I'm home free.

Home.

An interesting concept and one that I've never really experienced, at least not that I can remember.

I suppose I had a home with my parents but I can't remember that unless it's a nightmare or there's a Dementor nearby.

I hate Dementors.

Forcing a person to listen to their parent's death will do that.

The elevator grinds to a halt and bolt through, thanking my lucky stars that no ones waiting for me in the Atrium.

I had just finished doing that when I felt the magical discharge and threw myself sideways. I rolled and came back up to my feet with my wand pointed at my attacker.

It's Dumbledore and sitting on his shoulder is a phoenix.

I think I'm imagining things because that phoenix looks to be unbearably smug. I take a step backwards in the direction of the Apparition Point but Dumbledore disappears in a flash of flame and reappears between me and the Apparition Point.

"_Deletrius." _A swirling beam of borderline dark magic lances from my wand followed by a pair of silent bludgeoners.

Dumbledore will shield the spells but this is a two fold attack.

_Alacritas! _Animating something is a lot like the Imperious Curse except easier since you don't have to override the targets mind. In a battle it's difficult since you have to keep a small part of your mind focused on what you've animated.

The wizard from the atrocious fountain that adorns the Atrium charges from its position and wraps Dumbledore in a bear while lifting him off the ground. I take the opportunity and run for the phone booth to the muggle world. Its closer then the Apparition Point and once I'm above ground I'm free of the anti-apparition wards.

As the door slams shut behind me the whole box shudders under the impact of a spell. Pieces of the statue are scattered across the floor and he's watching me with a helpless look on his face.

I smirk and give him a respectful nod. He underestimated me otherwise I wouldn't have escaped so easily, it also helps that he doesn't want to seriously harm me.

We'll see each other again.

..

The apartment that I'm staying in is a dump but it's also dry and warm when the fire is lit which is more then I can say for the streets. Dump or not I know which one I prefer.

After I reached street level I Apparated away and made stops all around Britain to make sure that I wasn't being tracked.

I even had a short stop in an empty field in Ireland and did a scan for tracking charms.

Some people would call me paranoid and they would be right. I couldn't care less what they think of me, my paranoia's save me more times then I care to count.

With a glass of Firewhiskey in hand I set about raising as many privacy wards that I know before I shatter the prophecy.

My hand is shaking slightly as I release my grip on the cool glass.

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives_

Shit.

I swallow the glass of Firewhiskey and resist the urge to have several more; with a longing look I push the bottle away. I'm going to need a clear head for this.

So I'm the only one who can kill Voldemort, I guess it makes sense. If I banished him once why can't I kill him? I still don't like the prophecy though; it's too vague for my liking.

Like if I die does he become immortal? What about if I kill him do I become immortal? Since he can't be killed by anyone else can I? The bit about a power sounds promising but it doesn't actually mention what the prophecy is and it doesn't say that it will have anything to do with beating him so it could just be a false lead.

One thing is for certain though; I'll have to kill Voldemort. Whether I believe in the prophecy or not he clearly does and that makes it self fulfilling.

I'm going to need help and that's something I don't like.

Even worse is the person whose help I have to ask for.

I wonder if Dumbledore will try to talk to me this time.


	3. Chapter 3

Hyde Park is filled with happy families with small children, all happy and laughing. I feel out of place, no scratch that, I am out of place despite giving the appearance of fitting in.

I look like a somewhat normal not quite sixteen year old wasting away the day in the park; in reality I'm creating an exclusion zone.

An exclusion zone, is a small area created by a runic array that will temporarily hold back the anti escape wards used by Aurors, thus giving me the chance to escape. It won't hold for long, a minute at best, but if I stay, within its confines then that's all the time I need to Apparate away.

The magic takes and I get up and walk away. Unless someone dispels it the zone will last for twenty four hours or until triggered. I've got an owl to send to Dumbledore, he'll meet me of that I'm sure.

Why?

Because he needs me as much as I need him.

..

Dumbledore rubbed his eyes tiredly.

Three hours.

Three hours since Harry Potter had successfully robbed the Ministry of Magic, three hours since all of his mistakes had come back to him as he stared into those cold, green eyes and, he thought as his gaze turned to a near inconsolable Nymphadora Tonks, three hours since he'd found a curious link to the missing saviour.

For the majority of the last three hours Dumbledore had been at the Ministry dealing with the fall out of discovering that the Boy-Who-Lived was alive and subsequently allowing him to get away.

Now he had finally gathered his Order in Grimmauld Place so that they could be briefed and so that he could get some answers.

"I now call this meeting to order," Slowly the murmurs subsided "By now everyone is aware of what occurred this morning is that correct? Good. Now before we continue does anyone have any questions?"

Before anyone could ask a question Fawkes appeared in a ball of flames with a letter in his mouth. Blinking in surprise Dumbledore reached out and took the letter. He knew that if a letter was delivered to his office while he was away Fawkes would bring it to him if the phoenix considered it to be important.

Opening the envelope he found a single sheet of cheap parchment.

_Dumbledore _

_We need to talk._

_Hyde Park within an hour of opening this, come alone._

_HP_

Pushing magic into his eyes Dumbledore activated his Mage Sight, magnifying the twinkle in his eyes. He recognised traces of an alarm spell which was how he assumed Harry knew when he got the letter.

"It appears I have a meeting that I must attend with a potential Order member, I ask that everyone will wait here until I return and postpone the meeting. I'll be back within the hour."

Dumbledore waited briefly for the murmurs of assent before grasping Fawkes tail feathers and disappearing in a flash of flame.

..

I feel a pulse of magic from my alarm spell and smile, I'd half expected Dumbledore to be out of reach since my visit to the Ministry but obviously I was wrong. I move through the park until I come to rest on the bench that sits in the middle of my exclusion zone.

I picked Hyde Park because it's highly unlikely that Dumbledore will try and capture me here since my previous reaction to imprisonment says that I'll fight it with everything I have.

It doesn't take long before I spot him crossing him the park in a plum coloured suit that looks fifty years out of date. I wave my hand and perform the radar charm, it appears to be wandless magic but the tip of my wand is sticking out of my sleeve.

Dumbledore is the only magical person within its range but that doesn't mean that there aren't others lurking beyond the range of the charm.

I'll say it again; my paranoia has kept me alive.

Dumbledore seats himself on the bench opposite mine and waves his hand about looking like a crazy old man for all to see. I can feel the magic though and extend my own magic towards it.

Each spell has a different feel to it and my memory's telling me that he put up a silencing ward and a notice me not charm. I can't fault him for that.

"Hello Harry."

I scowl; I haven't gone by that name since I ran away from the Dursleys at the age of five. I prefer Cayden, I _like _Cayden. People who know me by that name either fear or respect it because of my own achievements not something that I can't remember. I didn't know what it meant when I picked it from a book that I'd read but it fits me.

In Gaelic Cayden means Spirit of battle.

People don't respect the Boy-Who-Lived though, he's a symbol to used and locked away until he's needed again.

I'll let Dumbledore call me Harry though, whether I like it or not Harry Potter and Cayden are different parts of the same person.

That person being me.

Still I don't have to like it.

"Hello Albus, I know the prophecy," straight to the point, that's me.

"I assumed so but please tell me what you hope to get from this meeting, from what I've gathered so you're a rather independent person."

Who would've thought? Albus Dumbledore's a smartarse.

"I am," I reply shortly "but I also know when I need help.

I want to confront him so badly, I want to rage and scream about leaving me the Dursleys but I don't.

Why?

It serves no purpose and while I resent him for it I forgave him a long time ago, keeping hold of anger is futile but just because I forgave him doesn't mean that we aren't going to sit down some time soon and he's going to explain his reasoning to me.

Just because I forgave him doesn't mean that I'll ever forget.

"What do you think I can do for you?"

"I'm a powerful wizard and rather skilled if I do say so myself yet I'm in no way capable of killing Voldemort by myself even if he didn't have his Death Eaters. I'd say that I could defeat all of his Death Eaters save Bellatrix Lestrange and I believe I could even overcome her with some difficulty. You're reputedly the only person Voldemort ever feared and if the reports that I've read of his last rise are true you're capable of holding him to a draw. Between us we could defeat him, the prophecy says that only I can kill him but it doesn't say anything that stops you from beating the shit out of him beforehand," I stop, I've said my piece for now.

"So you believe in the prophecy?"

"No but Voldemort does and that makes it self fulfilling," I know how he knows the prophecy since it was marked on the orb that the seer made it to him but his eyes narrow slightly when I say Voldemort believes in it.

No way and I telling about my connection with a certain Dark Lord.

"I've sworn to oppose Voldemort so it is only natural that I aid you, how do you propose we go about this alliance?"

"What do you think?" I shoot back, I'm winging it at the moment but I've got a few ideas and want to see how his compare to mine.

"I would like you to accompany to a Fidelius protected location…you do know what the Fidelius Charm is do you not?" I nod and he continues "Once there you will be inducted into the Order of the Phoenix and I along with some of the Order's more skilled members will begin working with you and building up your skill. I would also like you to attend Hogwarts for your sixth year if for no other reason then to give the public hope. For now I suggest we keep your return secret."

I turn the ideas over in my and they match my own but need a few amendments.

"I won't swear any oaths other then a vow of silence without good reason or depending on the contents. I accept the proposal of training and keeping my return secret. What's Chami told you about me?"

"Chami?" he asks, intrigued "Ah you must mean young Nymphadora. After your display at the Ministry earlier and her recognition of you she has been quite uncooperative. The only people who know the two of you are acquainted are Aurors Shacklebolt and Robbards, both of whom are keeping quiet for now and myself and your godfather Sirius Black, she hasn't revealed anything and I was intending to question her before I received your letter."

Did he say godfather? I voice that thought.

"Yes I did and he is quite anxious to meet you."

I 'hmm' noncommittally and make more plans.

"I'll go with you now but I want to be disguised, I trust you didn't tell anyone who you were meeting," he nods the affirmative and I go on "I need an oath that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to reveal."

He hesitates briefly and makes the oath putting in amendments that he is freed from it if I'm breaking laws. Smart man.

"I'm a metamorphmagus."

"That actually explains some things," Dumbledore muses "Like how you stayed hidden for so long. I assume that is how you intend to keep your identity secret from the Order?"

I nod.

"Remus Lupin is a werewolf and old friend of your parents; do you know how to conceal your scent?"

I draw my wand and wordlessly perform the necessary charm, the last time I used this I'd driven a silver spike through another werewolf's mate. My features change until I've got dull brown hair and eyes with unremarkable features and appear to be in my mid thirties, in other words I'm someone you wouldn't look at twice. While I was doing this, Dumbledore was busy writing something using conjured implements and hands the slip of parchment to me once I finish.

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at 12 Grimmauld Place London_

I burn it and vanish, the ashes once I memorise it and rise from my seat. Most people would think that in my position I'd demand oaths of loyalty or something of that sort from Dumbledore but the simple fact is that we both know that if he screws me over then he's fucked because I'll watch Voldemort burn Hogwarts to the ground before I do anything.

Dumbledore extends his hand and I grab it without hesitation. I hate Side-Along Apparition, mainly because I don't control the destination but it's more convenient then me Apparating blind.

I guess I just need to have a little bit of trust.

..

With the slightest of pops we appear in what I think is the hallway of a house that until recently was abandoned. There's a troll foot umbrella stand just inside the door which I assume leads outside and a covered portrait on the wall, Dumbledore gestures to the portraits and mimes silence, I acquiesce with a nod of my head.

I follow Dumbledore until we come to the kitchen, he walks straight through but I take a moment to steel myself, Chami, _my _Chami, is inside. I walk through and my eyes sweep across the gathered group. Tonks looks miserable and I feel like an utter bastard.

Hell I am an utter bastard.

"This, my friends is Lewis Moore and I have just inducted him into the Order, please make him feel welcome."

The group murmurs their greetings and I get several thorough examinations from some of them, these people I take notice of and mark them as the more capable members. Alastor Moody watches me suspiciously while Severus Snape appears to be trying to memorise every aspect of me. His presences is a surprise, it's well known amongst those who sell illegal ingredients that the Potions Master uses a certain mark on his arm to gain access to the rarest ingredients.

A spy possibly, he's definitely someone that I'll need to watch.

"Now I believe we have business to attend, you may get to know our new friend later. Nymphadora I believe we must ask some questions of you?"

I almost curse myself when I realise something, I don't want Tonks to reveal that I'm a metamorphmagus but I never said anything about it to Dumbledore, at worst I'll have him get everyone here swear a vow of silence not to reveal the fact or personally memory charm them.

"Can't you leave her alone Albus, can't you see she's had a hard day," a woman standing behind Tonks snaps and I wince not having seen her face when I entered as she'd been turned away from me.

I've met Andromeda Tonks once, she's an independent woman and powerful witch, she'd have to be to get her family through the first war and raise Tonks on her own after her husband left her. She's going to do some damage when I reveal myself, I guess she'll get whatever Tonks leaves.

If Sirius is my godfather I wonder if he'll mind me using him as a shield.

"I'm truly sorry Andromeda but I'm afraid that these answers are important. Tell me Miss Tonks how long have you known Harry Potter?"

Tonks meets Dumbledore's kind gaze, her eyes are red rimmed and I can decipher the emotions in them and guess the reason for each one.

Happiness: I'm alive not dead as my disappearance suggests.

Sadness: I did disappear without a word; it looks like I was using her.

Anger : I'm alive and didn't tell her plus there's the whole 'may have been using her' thing.

I could be wrong though.

"I met him the summer before my seventh year and what would have been his second year at the time though I didn't know he was Harry Potter, when he introduced himself he called himself Cayden. It was obvious to me though that he was a street kid."

"Cayden?" Andromeda asks "The Cayden that you brought home when he'd gotten beat up?"

Tonk's nods, the time her mother is referring to is when I got caught by a gang of thugs during what would have been my third year at Hogwarts and beat up badly. I ended up better then them though, I survived. Tonks found me at my current home and took me to her mother's house to get her to patch me up. Andy, as she had told me to call her, offered me a home.

I don't know why I refused, it was a dream come true but I think by that time I was used to my life, it was something that I carved for myself and by staying with the Tonks' I would've had to tell them the truth and frankly I didn't want to be Harry Potter.

Snape catches my eye, or more his eyes do, they're gleaming. Performing Legilimency has a different effect on people's eyes, mine apparently have a type of hypnotic swirl but I suspect Snape's gleam. He's making the barest of eye contact with Tonks but that's all a master needs. I feel angry, Tonks is crap at Occlumency outside of a flimsy shield to protect her during a duel, and she never bothered beyond that.

As I consider what to do about my suspicions Snape speaks up.

"Well what else do you know? Where can we find him? What are his habits?"

"I don't know where to find him, I haven't seen him since Christmas," she sounds miserable and slightly defiant.

"Then what do you know about him, if we know his habits we may be able to find the arrogant brat," Snape sneers.

Nice to know what he thinks of me.

"Go to hell Snape, if Cayden wants to stay hidden then he can and I'm not going to help you find him by betraying his trust."

I expect Snape to explode but he does something completely different.

He laughs.

"The little changeling is in love," he crows "Tell me girl did he make you feel special, did he not ask you to change your form or did you volunteer to do so? Well guess what you stupid little girl, he's a Potter and he did what Potter's do best and used you."

The rooms explodes even as Tonks shrinks back from his accusations, I can see the uncertainty swimming in her eyes. She doesn't want to believe Snape but I've done nothing but support his view, except for the part about changing her appearance, I'd never ask her to do that especially after she told me what it was like for her in school.

Dumbledore is berating Snape along with most everyone else while Tonks is being comforted by Andy and a friend of hers that I recognise as Hestia Jones. Snape's voice rises above them all.

"If you won't tell us what we want I suggest we take the information, we are after all in a war and Potter appears to be our best hope unfortunately."

Dumbledore shoots down this idea but a lot of Order members agree with Snape and looking at it from their point of view I can't blame them. I guess I might need to reveal myself sooner then I'd thought since I refuse to put Tonks in this position. I discreetly slide my wand from its holster; I have a feeling that I'm going to need it.

My features fade to my base form and I inject magic in my voice so that my voice rises above the hubbub and people actually pay attention to me.

"If you've got questions for me Snape ask them."

Everyone turns to me.

A stunned silence ensues as I bare my scar.

The sound of Tonks chair scraping across the floor breaks it and I wince at the look on her face as she shoves through the people to get to me. It appears that she isn't going to bother going for her wand.

I make no attempt to dodge the small fist as it crashes into my face.


End file.
